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      Charley's Aunt

      1941 1h 21m Comedy List
      Reviews 47% 50+ Ratings Audience Score Victorian-era Oxford students Charley Wykeham (Richard Haydn) and Jack Chesney (James Ellison) recruit their wealthy playboy friend, Lord Fancourt Babberly (Jack Benny), to impersonate Charley's Brazilian aunt, Donna Lucia, to chaperone a double date the pair have planned. But unbeknownst to the trio, Jack's father (Laird Cregar) happens to be after Donna Lucia's fortune, and the real Donna Lucia (Kay Francis) has come to town incognito to check up on her nephew. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (7) audience reviews
      steve d Not remotely amusing. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member good comedy & vehicle 4 jack benny Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Much of the slapstick business was taken from the 1925 film version with Syd Chaplin, brother of the world-famous Charlie Chaplin. The film later inspired Mrs. Dountfire & Tootsie. American Comedian, perfected Violionist and orginal Radio DJ Jack Benny makes his first ever film debut as bumbling and niave Babs, but soon gets tricked into dressing up as school mates "Charley's Aunt" in order to intice 2 ladies into marriage. Benny is stubborn and a thickheaded manly woman who's posing as a spainard widow. Unknowningly, Benny falls head over heals for the Real "Charley's Aunt". The film soon gets complicated, funnier and well balance with plenty of twists and turns. Some you predict while others a welcomed suprise. I was quite impressed and quickly swooned over Benny's ruggid charm and fallen grace. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member benny does drag-simply irresitable! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I had the pleasure of seeing this play performed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and it was hilarious. I enjoyed this film version, but it was not nearly as enjoyable as the play. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member An absolute treasure for fans of Jack Benny, and a frightfully overlooked entry into the 1940s theater-to-film slapstick genre. The thing just flies by in all of its comic glory, and there's never a dull moment whatsoever. This is due to two things- a wonderfully adapted screenplay by George Seaton and a pitch-perfect performance by Benny- with and without the garters. Jack wasn't given enough screen opportunities, primarily because in their time the ones he did get were unexplainable box office bombs. With good humor, Jack would ridicule his own films on his radio show, and these always made for good laughs. Looking back, Jack's films have aged better than most of the comedies of the period. Though they weren't appreciated in their time, we can now view them in all their comic glory; Jack's incredible talent never ceases to amaze me. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Charley's Aunt

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Victorian-era Oxford students Charley Wykeham (Richard Haydn) and Jack Chesney (James Ellison) recruit their wealthy playboy friend, Lord Fancourt Babberly (Jack Benny), to impersonate Charley's Brazilian aunt, Donna Lucia, to chaperone a double date the pair have planned. But unbeknownst to the trio, Jack's father (Laird Cregar) happens to be after Donna Lucia's fortune, and the real Donna Lucia (Kay Francis) has come to town incognito to check up on her nephew.
      Director
      Archie Mayo
      Screenwriter
      George Seaton, Brandon Thomas
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Jun 12, 2007
      Runtime
      1h 21m